The Riyadh Season’s UK launch event on September 21st recorded a downturn in fortunes for fans as Liam Smith had to pull out of the card because of a virus affecting his health. Ishmael Davis takes his stead instead and will face Josh Kelly. The card might take a massive hit with this blackout but this is a tremendous opportunity for Davis, who has been rising through the ranks of the super welterweight division.

Kelly wanted to cement his place as the WBO junior middleweight challenger by fighting ‘Beefy’. Even though Smith won’t be able to fight, the Sunderland resident will face very tough competition in the form of an undefeated Davis.

Nevertheless, with the card shaping up differently, His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh spoke about the Kelly vs Smith clash and wished a speedy recovery for the latter.

“Liam Smith has suffered a health setback we wish him a speedy recovery ❤️. He will be replaced by Ishmael Davis in the #RiyadhSeasonCard Wembley Edition on September 21 🥊,” wrote His Excellency, informing everyone.

Filling in for such a big spot with just 6 days remaining is already a gigantic task. The boxing world praised Davis for his bold choice. Davis abandoned his already scheduled fight against Uisma Lima for this event and opportunity. Nevertheless, the boxing world took over in a flurry as reactions from eminent boxing personalities came to the forefront.

Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren reacts to the change in the lineup

Micheal Benson announced the changes on his social media, “🥊 Announced: Josh Kelly will now face Ishmael Davis in a super-welterweight clash on the Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois undercard on Saturday night after Liam Smith was forced to withdraw due to a virus,” stating all the details.

It did not take long before the congratulatory messages started pinging. Eddie Hearn himself congratulated the Leeds resident, “LFG @Ishmaeldavis_ – what a chance, what a story! 😤, as he seemed excited about the fight. Hearn recently signed Davis for his camp earlier this year and the partnership seems to be reaping its rewards already.

Frank Warren also congratulated ‘The Black Panther’ for this opportunity and decision. “Ishmael Davis replaces Liam Smith who has had to pull out. Kelly vs Davis is an intriguing fight as part of Saturdays undercard. Wishing @LiamBeefySmith a quick recovery. #RiyadhSeasonCard Wembley Edition.” Warren is excited about the fight and thinks that this clash will be an intriguing one. The winner can see his stocks rising exponentially after this fight.

Despite the card not shaping up to plan for the boxing community, the card remains stellar, with its bouts having the potential to change up major dynamics. A win here will set Kelly up for a shot at the unified WBC/WBO 154-pound championship. The other fights will include Hamza Sheeraz battling Tyler Denny for the European middleweight belt. The rivalry between Joshua Butasu and Willy Hitchinson will see its end as they will fight for the WBO interim light-heavyweight title. Mark Chamberlain vs John Padley is also an intriguing stylistic matchup followed by Anthony Cacace defending his IBF super-featherweight title against Josh Warrington.

The PPV will be headlined by Anthony Joshua, who will take on Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title. What do you think about the revised fixture of Ishmael Davis and Josh Kelly? Will this clash be as exciting as the previous scheduled match? And has it dampened down the PPV card? Let us know down below.